Reagent carriers of the type that are under consideration here are test chips e.g. biochips for detecting analytes in a sample liquid. They can for example be used for immunoassay applications in which binding reactions between reactants which are in one embodiment immobilized on an area of a test region of the reagent carrier, and analytes which are present in a sample liquid wetting the test area are detected. These reagent carriers which are also referred to as chips in the following must be treated and handled in a protected manner until their intended use so that undesired contamination is avoided and the reactants retain their specific binding capability for the sample analytes.
The base housing of the reagent carriers can be formed from a variety of solid materials and especially also from plastic.
Such plastic chips can for example, after their manufacture in an injection molding process, be coated with “dry chemistry” for example using a microspot method in order to immobilize the reactant molecules on the test area of the chip. Such a coating usually takes place automatically in a coating plant. After the coating and drying the chips are prepared ready for use. They then have to be placed in a package which offers them protection against environmental influences.
Several weeks may indeed pass before the individual chips are used for medical or chemical investigations. Thus, high demands must be made on the measures for screening the test regions of the chips against environmental influences such as varying air humidity, varying temperature, dust etc.
Furthermore, it should be possible to automatically handle chips that are combined in groups in packaging stations and furthermore when the chips are used by customers in analyzers. The automated processes when the packaging is filled by the manufacturer and when the chips are used by customers should be designed to be as simple and space-saving as possible. It should be possible to handle the chips individually if needed when they are used to detect analytes in a sample liquid.